


Oh Baby

by virtuemoirlike (katya_kool)



Category: Figure Skating RPF, Olympics RPF
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Future Fic, Getting Together, Kid Fic, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-03-28 00:07:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13892031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katya_kool/pseuds/virtuemoirlike
Summary: Some snapshots of the life of Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir, and their pregnancy.





	1. Month One- Finding Out

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I haven't seen any pregnancy fics regarding these two, and thought it would be super cute. I don't think I have the ability to write a full-length fic, so I'll just being doing it in snapshot form, one for each month of the pregnany. Enjoy!

In some ways, this situation is very similar to things she’s done before. Doctors visits and regular competitions have made her taken drug tests many times, and the concept of peeing into a cup isn’t strange. With this test, however, things are different. The results aren’t sent to a lab, she doesn’t know she’s clean, and the situation is much more tense.  
She’s staring at a pregnancy test.

  
She hadn’t really thought about it, as she was only a couple of days late when she started to feel worried. They had just gotten back from Stars on Ice, and she was trying to settle back in to Montreal. Her refrigerator contained nothing of nutritional value, and the need for some basic supplies was evident. Still, she didn’t really want to spend an hour at the grocery store, so a quick stop made sense. The gas station had real food, and the chances of getting recognized were slim. After grabbing some milk, bread, chocolate, and peanut butter, she glimpsed into the feminine aisle. For some reason, her eyes zoomed to the pregnancy tests, even though she wasn’t consciously sure why. Tessa quickly thought about her last period, and realized it was five weeks ago. She grabbed it, shoved it into her basket, and went up to the register. After buying the products, she drove home, a sinking feeling starting in her stomach. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be pregnant, but it was still a scary concept.

  
It had to be Scott’s. He was the only person she had slept with in months, during all the Olympics, press tours, and Stars on Ice circus. It was only once, and things had been a little off with them since. They mutually agreed to give each other space. They were so attached, and they had to learn how to live without one another. Tessa knew it was probably going to make her miserable, but it seemed necessary. Still, if this was going where she thought it might, that wouldn’t be the case.

  
Once she got home, she dropped the food off on the counter and raced up to her bathroom. Her hands were shaking a bit when she opened the package, and she got to work. Her tension only increased as her phone continued to tick down until when the test could be read. After several tortuous minutes, it beeped, and she knew that it would be revealed. Either nothing had changed, or everything had. She thought about calling someone, her mom or Scott or Jordan or somebody, but decided not to.

  
“I am a strong, independent woman, and I can do this.”

  
Flipping the test over, it was easy enough to read. Two lines. She’s pregnant. She almost immediately began to cry, purely in shock. She had never expected to become a mother, or at least not like this. It was supposed to be once she was settled, and married, and definitely not like this.

  
But here it was. She was pregnant, and her life had flipped on a dime. Tessa logically knew that there were steps to be taken, to call Scott, and try to figure this out, but right now, she needed to take a break. The baby would still be there when she woke up, and there were still many months to go.


	2. Month Two- Telling Scott

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Telling Scott was the scariest part so far of the pregnancy, but Tessa Virtue knew she could do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love the responses so far to the first chapter, thank you all. Enjoy!

She had been scared about this part for a while, and now that it was finally here, her anxiety was skyrocketing. Tessa had decided to come to London for this part, as it didn’t seem like the thing to say over the phone.

“Oh, hey Scott, just by the way, I’m pregnant. How are you?” Yeah no, that wouldn’t work. So, she booked a flight home to London, and texted him before she got on the flight.

“Hey, I’m coming home for a visit, do you want to grab lunch?”

“Sure. What time?”

“Tuesday at noon work?”

“That’s fine. Is the Italian place okay?”

“Sounds good.”

She shut off her phone and tried to settle in to the airplane seat. He was probably confused about why she wanted to meet up, after all, she had been the one to suggest they take a short break. Still, he was nice enough not to question it, and she was relieved about that. The flight itself wasn’t bad, but her nerves were continuing to increase. She couldn’t manage to take a nap, even though she felt tired. After picking up her luggage, she went to meet her mom up front.

“Hey sweetie, we missed you. How long are you staying?”

“Not long, only the weekend. Do you mind if I borrow your car for a bit? I told Scott I’d meet him for lunch in an hour.”

“Yes, that’s fine. You two okay?” Tessa sighed, staring out the window.

“It’s fine. We just need to talk.”

“Well okay. I’m sure it will all work out.” Tessa wants to roll her eyes at her mother but appreciates the concern. She’s defiantly going to need it soon. Once they pull into the driveway, Tessa runs inside to change. She picks out a cute top and some quality jeans to go with it. Her hair is thrown back in a quick pony and she’s ready to go.

After arriving at the restaurant, she makes her way into the lobby area, waiting for Scott to arrive. Once he does, looking handsome as ever in jeans and a flannel, they make their way to a booth. Ordering is simple, and they begin to small talk before the food comes. It’s easy, and it makes her heart ache because she knows it’s going to change once she drops the bomb. After the dishes are cleared away, she can sense that he’s finally going to ask why she’s really here.

“So why the sudden trip Tess? I thought we were taking a break.” She clears her throat and looks him straight in the eyes.

“I’m pregnant.” His eyes go wide, and he almost chokes on his water.

“What?”

“I’m pregnant. With a baby. I took the test a couple of weeks ago and I’m pregnant. It’s yours.” It’s almost a relief to finally say it, and to share the secret that she’s known about. It’s almost like when they were younger, and he could say something, and it would blow her mind. Only in this case, the roles are reversed. He continues to take sips of water, looking all around in shook. Tessa feels a little bad for him.

“Look, I just had to tell you. It has to be yours, and I thought you should know. That being said, you don’t have to do anything. I just thought you should know that I’m going to keep it.” Scott sits up in his chair.

“Oh, come on T. You think I’m just going to leave you alone with a baby? Really?”

“That’s not what I’m saying. I just have to give you an out.” _I don’t want to be a burden_ she thinks. _This is my mistake, not yours. You’ve gone through enough for me_.

“An out, seriously. We’ve been together for twenty years, and you think I’m going to take an out now? After everything?” He’s indignant at this point, and she knows that this is information overload at this point.

“This is a little different. It’s a major commitment. I know you want kids, but I don’t know if you want them with me or right now. It’s not fair for me to assume you’re all in.”

“This is what happened. No take backs. I won’t lie and say this is what I planned, but I’m not backing out on you now. You mean too much for that.” Scott’s breathing has evened more now, and he grasps Tessa’s hand lightly.

“Okay. Well now we have to work things out. With you in London and me in Montreal, logistics are going to be tough.” He pushes that to the side.

“Not now. Let’s just be happy for a bit. I mean come on Tess. There’s a baby right there.” He points at her stomach. “Let’s enjoy that."

“It’s barely a bundle of cells.”

“It’s our bundle of cells.” He has a soft tone in his voice, and it makes her want to melt to the floor in relief. He’s still Scott. Her Scott. She knows right then, that things are going to work out. It’s the same feeling she had after Moulin Rouge in Pyeonchang. It’s the same feeling she had after the first practice back after their two-year retirement. She knows that they can do this. It won’t be sunshine and daisies all the time, but if anyone can do this with her, it’s Scott Moir. Her nerves have somewhat subsided, even though she knows they’ll be back.

“Okay. Let’s do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! So I've outlined the rest of the book, and I'm excited and hope you all will like it. Update schedule isn't completely set, as it is determined by when I have time, as I am currently in school! Kudos/comments are appreciated, and I hope you all have a lovely day!


	3. Month Three- Sonogram

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to get the first pictures of their baby with a sonogram, and Scott makes sure Tessa knows he is there for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My chapters have been slowly getting longer, and I don't know how it's happening. Oh well. Anyways, thank you all for the kind comments and kudos. It has been appreciated and brightened my day. What do you think the baby is going to be, a boy or a girl? Comment below, and enjoy the chapter!

For the first doctor visit, they decided it should take place in Montreal. She had come to London for him the first time, and if there was an emergency it made sense for the physician to be near her. They still had to work out what would happen eventually, since they didn’t want to be flying with a baby all the time. For a temporary fix, this worked. Tessa was feeling less stressed about everything now that she had someone to share it with, and Scott was good at helping her relax. Sometimes she would think herself into a tailspin, and he would ground her back down to earth.

He had touched down yesterday, a day before the appointment, getting to Montreal early just in case of a delay. He didn’t want to miss the sonogram. This was the first picture of his future child, and he was excited. Tessa had welcomed him with a hug and set him up in her guest room, and he was relived when things weren’t awkward between the two of them. There was no doubt that this baby was going to change their relationship, but everything seemed fine right then. They had shared dinner at her house, easily chatting, and watched some movies until late at night. Looking over at her, Scott noticed that she had fallen asleep. He shook her shoulder gently.

“Tess” She slowly opened her eyes and gave him a sleepy smile. She got up and made her way to her bedroom, exhaustion catching up to her.

“Thanks. Goodnight Scott.”

“Goodnight T.” He grabs the remote, turns off the TV, and goes went to his bedroom. Flying had made him tired, and he fell asleep effortlessly.

Today, they eat breakfast at the kitchen table and watch the news, commenting on the interesting stories. Soon enough, it was time for the appointment, so they leave Tessa’s house and begin the short drive. Pulling up to the clinic, Tessa’s anxieties start to increase again. She turns to him.

“What if somethings wrong?” He looks back at her and can see that she’s working herself up again. Scott wants to reassure her, because she’s his _partner._ She’s the mother of his child, and even though this is a scary situation, she has to know that he still has her back, and that he will _always_ have her back.

“Then we’ll deal with it. Together.”

“But what if I messed it up or something. Or did something I wasn’t supposed to. Or didn’t eat something it needs. Or”

“Tessa.” He grabs her hands. “This is going to work out. Just relax until you have a valid reason not to.” When Tessa looks in his eyes, they are stable and calming, everything she needs. He’s always had that effect on her, so it makes sense that it happens now.

She takes a deep breath, and nods. “We got this.”

He nods, and she exits the car. He follows behind her and she locks it, walking in towards the lobby. Once entering, she checks in and fills out the insurance and medical history forms. He sits in a chair awkwardly, looking around at all the people. He starts to read a magazine, hoping to distract himself a bit. Truth be told, he is freaking out a little, but he knows he has to calm Tessa down. She’s down so much for him over the years, so it’s the least he can do. Eventually, she joins him, and they wait. A nurse emerges with a clipboard.

 “Tessa Virtue?” Tessa raises her arm, taps Scott on the shoulder and follows the nurse into the room.

The nurse begins to go over prenatal tips, vitamins, and foods to eat, and Tessa begins to take notes like she is preparing for an exam. After all the topics have been exhausted, the OB/GYN comes into the room.

“Congratulations you guys! Okay, let’s see this baby of yours.” She puts gloves on, and Tessa hops up on to the examination table.

“This is a pretty simple procedure. I will put this gel on your stomach, and then we will get your baby’s first photograph. I can print some off later to take home. Everyone good?” Tessa and Scott nod, and he grabs her hand. The OB/GYN squeezes the gel onto Tessa’s stomach, and she shivers.

“You good?” He needs reassurance right now, because if there is something her never wants to see, it’s her hurt. They make eye contact, and can almost hear the other person’s thoughts, just like when they are on the ice. _I just want to make sure you’re okay. I know._

“Yeah, it’s just cold.” The doctor fiddles around with the screen, and then something grainy pops up on the screen.

 “There’s your baby.”

“Holy shit.”

“Scott!”

“Tess look. It’s a baby. Like, a real life moving baby.”

“More than some cells, huh.”

He looks at her, eyes wide, with his hair everywhere due to him running his hands through it. “That’s for sure.”

The OB/GYN coughs, drawing their attention. “Do you guys want pictures?”

“Yes.” Scott answers immediately, drawing his eyes away from the monitor. Tessa looks up at him, and she’s surprised to hear that his voice is wobbly. She reaches out for his hand and squeezes it tight. Her eyes are a bit teary, and she’s almost overwhelmed with emotion. She’s seeing her baby for the first time, and it suddenly feels real. The doctor gives them their photos, and they thank her and leave.

Once they get back to the car, Scott cannot control himself.

“Holy shit.”

“You already said that.”

He turns to her. “I’ll say it again. T, we just saw a picture of our baby.”

Tessa laughs. “I know we did.”

A little while later, as they’re driving back to her place, he can feel her eyes on him. Her waits her out, knowing that she’ll eventually bring it up when she’s ready.

“I’m scared.”

“Me too.” She almost looks surprised, as if she thought he was not frightened at all by this whole thing. “But Tess, honestly, I’m glad this happened with you over anyone else. I trust you with my life, and while this is scary as hell, I’m still glad it’s with you. You’re my best friend, and probably the best person in the world. We can do this.”

She lets out a long-held sigh. “Okay”

He wants to hug her so badly right now. To take her in his arms and synchronize their breathing and make her feel safe. He can read her body language better than anyone, and he can see she isn’t completely reassured yet. Still, they are in a car right now, and he has to wait until they get back. There they will have to figure out more future planning, and he isn’t really excited about it. He is excited for the baby though, because why wouldn’t he be. He’s going to be a dad. It might not be the way he planned, but since it’s with Tessa, he knows it’s going to work out. When they pull into the driveway, he has one last thought.

_You deserve the best T, and I’ll try to do that for you._


	4. Month Four- Telling the Family and Baby Bumps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a visible bump now, and it's time to tell the family of their newest relative.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow this got to 1.8k? I don't know exactly how that happened. If you guys think these are starting to get too long, let me know and I can try to trim them a bit. Anyways, thank you for all the support so far, you guys are amazing.

Tessa decides that, for at least the short term, to move back to London. She isn’t going to sell her apartment in Montreal and will rent it out, but she will take out a lease on an apartment at home. Her family is there, and it’s closer to Scott. They had talked after the ultrasound, and he had offered to move to Montreal to make things easier, but the family connection made more sense. They’re going to need help, and God knows their moms are going to be _very_ involved. Since she is moving back, they decide that the best way to announce the pregnancy to their families is through a mock welcome home party.

She is excited to be back, after all, she did miss everything that made it feel like home. She’s moved around a lot of the years, but it’s refreshing to go back to the place where everything began. So, she plans to move stuff her into her new two-bedroom apartment and start to settle in. The second she touches down in Montreal, Scott is already at her place, directing the moving van people she sent ahead, to get things set up. He lives ten minutes away, and she knows that they are going to meet up a lot. For baby purposes. He doesn’t pretend to know exactly where she wants everything, but the less stress on her the better. It’s not that he’s super worried about her or anything, he just wants to help the baby. That’s it. Or at least that’s what he tells himself. _It’s for your best friend Tessa and your baby. It’s normal to help out. Don’t overanalyze it._

They plan the party for two weeks after she arrives, so she’s officially fifteen weeks pregnant. There’s a little bump underneath her shirt, but around her family she just wears sweaters and loose clothing until the reveal. She’s not ashamed of their baby, that’s for sure, but she just wants to tell everyone at once. If she tells one person, it’ll escalate, and she wants to control that as much as she can. Scott wanted to tell people immediately, but he agreed to wait. He didn’t want her to get worked up over it, and her can never resist her eyes.

The first time he sees the baby bump, she’s making lunch, and he is stopping in to check up on her and make sure all her stuff was ready for the party. Tessa is focused on preparing her salad, facing away from him, and jumps when she hears him come in. She turns around to glare at him for slamming the door.

“Scott you can’t keep slamming the doors I need to get my deposit back.” He isn’t making eye contact with her, and it’s almost like he’s looking through her.

“Scott? Hello?” She snaps her fingers, and he looks up with an awestruck expression on his face.

“You have a belly.”

“Of course, I have a stomach, that’s biology. I’ve never not had a stomach, what are you talking about? Oh.” She looks down, confused, until she gets what he’s referring to.

“Oh yeah.” Her blush starts to take over her entire face, and he hasn’t seen a smile that wide on her face in a long time.

“I’m showing.”

“That’s for sure. Has your mom noticed yet.?”

“No. But I can’t keep wearing sweaters, so I’m glad the party is tomorrow.”

“Me too.” He looks pensive for a minute, almost hesitating.

“Can I touch it?” He wants this so badly, she can see it in his body language, his voice, and his eyes as they look at her.

“Yeah of course.” It’s almost ridiculous to her that he thought she wouldn’t let him. He’s the baby’s father, and he’s Scott. Of course, she was going to let him touch it. He walks over and ever so gently touches it.  

“I haven’t felt it kick yet. But it’s there.” They sit there for a few minutes, absorbing everything, and Tessa is so grateful that he is there. She knows she is capable of doing it alone, but she doesn’t want to. Eventually, they move on to other things and he leaves. Before she goes to bed that night, she has one last fleeting thought. _He’s going to be a great dad._

Once she wakes up the next morning, she begins to set things up for the party. Scott arrives half an hour before it’s supposed to start to help with last minute prep. Everything goes according to schedule, and soon enough it is in full swing. Between the Moirs and the Virtues, there’s a lot of people who know each other very well, so people are content. After everyone has arrived, she makes her way to the center of the living room, pulling Scott along with her.

“Excuse me, if we could have everyone’s attention please?” Their family begins to quiet down, and their mothers exchange glances and end their conversation.

Tessa suddenly feels nervous and looks at Scott for guidance. He grabs her hand. “Guys we have an announcement.”

The mothers smirk at one another, and his brother sighs from the back of the room.

“You guys finally got together didn’t you. About time.” The room suddenly buzzes with conversation, and Tessa can feel her control slipping away. Her eyes go wide, and Scott can tell she’s about ten seconds away from freaking out. He clears his throat.

“Guys. Guys. No, we aren’t together. But Tessa is pregnant. We’re having a baby.”

If it’s possible, the talking gets even louder than before. Annoyed at this point, Tessa speaks up.

“I’m fifteen weeks along, and that was the main reason I moved back here. We planned this to tell everyone at once, and we have extra copies of the sonogram pictures if you want a copy. We hope that you will support us, and even though this wasn’t exactly planned, we are excited. There’s food here right now, so it’s time to eat.”

There’s spattered rounds of applause throughout the room, and people move toward the kitchen to grab food. Alma and Kate instead approach the couple. They glance at each other, and Kate speaks up first.

“Congrats you two. I’m happy for you, but why didn’t you tell us earlier? I mean you found out a while ago right?”

Tessa and Scott glance at each other, slightly embarrassed. “Well, I found out a couple months ago, and then I told Scott, and then we’ve been busy trying to sort things out. There wasn’t like a specific reason or something, we just wanted for everyone to find out at once more time to figure out details.”

The moms laugh a little and gather their children in hugs. Seeing how many people were there to talk to them, they decide to give them some space, knowing they will catch up.

“Well okay.” Alma is slightly pleased. “We’ll talk to you guys more about it later. Enjoy your party.”

They walk away and move towards the kitchen. As they are in line for food, Alma turns to Kate.

“They were supposed to get together first, then procreate.”

Kate nods. “Well, we can’t always pick the order of the chain of events. But that will happen eventually. I mean, look at the way he’s looking at her right now, I don’t doubt it for a second.”

Alma glances over at the couple, where Tessa has her head on her head on Scott’s shoulder and he has a look of utter adoration on his face.

“Me neither. We know how this is going to turn out, even if they don’t. It’s always been like that.” Kate nods, and then they are in the front of the line, distracting them from the topic at hand.

Eventually, the rest of the party dissolves into well wishing and congratulations, along with messages to keep them updated as the pregnancy progresses. After everyone has left, most of the time with multiple hugs goodbye, only the two of them are left. Looking around the apartment, Tessa finds that the apartment has turned into a mess, with pillows and dirty dishes everywhere, and she knows she has a long night of cleaning up to do tonight. Still, she’s happy how everything happened, as their families were very supportive. This isn’t surprising, she knew they love her and Scott, but it’s still reassuring. Tessa and Scott start to clean up the apartment, him helping her even though she insisted she could take care of it. _Of course, you can Tess, but that doesn’t mean you should have to._

“We did good today T” She glances at him, straightening out the couch after it had gotten pushed around a bit.

“Yeah. I guess we did.” She smiles at him, reflective on how the day had gone. She’s focused on reminiscing when she gets snapped back to the present.

“I love you, you know that right? Both of you.” She looks up at him from across the room, and he almost looks nervous. She raises her eyebrows a little bit, trying to determine how to proceed. She walks over to him.

“Of course I know that. You show me that through everything you do.”

“Good.” He grabs her and pulls her close, and they settle into one of their hugs. It feels like they haven’t done this in forever, and it’s crazy how much it relaxes her. Her body just keeps humming _Scott Scott Scott_ and that’s all she can think about. Eventually he releases her, and then squats down and kisses her stomach.

She’s surprised at the easy affection but welcomes it. “Scott!”

He laughs, straightens up and gives her an easy smile. “That’s my baby in there. Got to start showing that affection early.”

“I suppose. Thanks for helping me out today, I needed you.”

“You don’t need me, but you’re welcome.” He’s getting ready to leave, satisfied by the state of her apartment, when he has a sudden realization and gets a look of panic on his face.

“Our moms are never going to let up on us, now are they?” Tessa smiles at him, glad he is finally understanding the situation at hand.

“Not a chance.”

He rolls his eyes while putting on his coat. “I’ll see you soon Tess.”

“Yeah.” He starts to walk out the door, when she’s stuck by the sudden impulse to remind him of something important. “Hey Scott.”

He turns around. “What?”

“I love you too.” She smiles and gives him a wave, and then shuts the door. As he drives home, the joy from the baby and Tessa follows him. She’s always been the most important person in his life, and now she has further cemented her spot.

_The things I would do for her, and she doesn’t even realize it._


	5. Month Five- Ultrasound and Gender Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally time for the twenty week ultrasound, where Tessa and Scott get to find out the sex of their baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This work is coming along nicely, and I hope you all are enjoying it. I think when I'm finished with this I'm going to make a book of extras, stuff that isn't in the main storyline but still cute. So stay tuned for that. Thank you again for all the kind words so far.

It is finally time to go to their second ultrasound at twenty weeks, and Tessa is feeling good about it. She doesn’t know exactly what it is, but things just _feel_ good. Maybe it was mother’s intuition or something, but she knows her baby is fine and safe. Scott, on the other hand, was anxious. Last time they were in this situation, she was the nervous one, but here the scripts are flipped. They had worked out the transfer paperwork weeks ago and were now sitting in the waiting room before the nurse comes out. He’s jiggling his knee at a rapid pace, and she can see the tension in his body.

“Scott.” He looks at her, and she looks like she’s concerned about him, which isn’t right. _I’m fine Tess just focus on the baby._

“I’m fine.” This earns him an eyeroll, and she puts her hand on his knee.

“There’s nothing to be worried about.” She can tell he doesn’t quite believe her, but she isn’t done yet. “Remember, don’t worry about it until there’s something to be worried about. And that we’ll deal with it together.”

She always throws his words back at him, and today is no exception. “Well yeah but.”

“Tessa Virtue?” They don’t notice the nurse until she’s calling out Tessa’s name, but they quickly get up. Scott looks over and when Tessa stands up he notices, again, her stomach. It’s not super big yet, but there’s definitely something there. It makes everything more real, and he just needs to see his baby so he knows it’s all right. Visual confirmation, or something like that. He follows the pair into the patient room, and watches as Tessa goes on the exam table. After the nurse asks Tessa the routine questions, the OB/GYN comes in.

“Nice to meet you two. I checked your previous files, and everything seems to be in order. Do you guys have any questions about the procedure? It’s pretty much the same as last time, but you’ll be able to see more of your baby.”

They exchange glances and seem completely comfortable. “I think,” Scott looks at Tessa to make sure they are in agreement, “We’re good.”

“Great!” Tessa lies down on the table and pulls up her shirt. Scott instinctively reaches for her hand and gives it a quick squeeze. He’s a little surprised at himself but shakes it off. _I’m just trying to be a good partner._

“Alright, here we go.” The doctor moves the device around, and then a picture pops up on the screen. “So here is your baby’s heart, and here is its brain.” She points at the various spots on the monitor.

“That all looks normal.” Tessa gives Scott an ‘I told you so’ look, and he has the decency to look a little embarrassed.

“Here are your child’s fingers, and there’s the toes. Ten of each, so you’re good on that front.” Tessa scans the screen and can count them, and she’s not even a doctor. The development from the last picture is amazing, and she is currently very grateful for modern technology. Seeing the specific parts also makes it seem like their baby will be full size soon, which is a weird concept. She feels like she barely just found out about the pregnancy at all, but that’s not the case. After getting off track, a squeeze from Scott focuses her back into situation at hand.

“Your placenta and amniotic fluid look normal and healthy, so as long as you keep having a good diet, you should be okay.” Tessa nods along to the information, and Scott makes a mental note to check her refrigerator to make sure she has healthy food. She’s pretty good about it most of the time, but he knows from experience that she sometimes misses meals. It mostly happens when she’s stressed, and while she seems okay right now, he just wants to be sure. _It’s just for the baby’s sake. That’s it._

The OB/GYN draws him back to the appointment. “Overall, there looks to be no defects or abnormalities. Of course, we’ll continue to have regular checkups until the baby is born, but this is the first hurdle. So, the last question; Do you guys want to find out what the sex is?”

Scott instantly thinks back to last week, when Tessa had cornered him at his apartment about a concept called a gender reveal party. Basically, it seems to him that it’s an excuse to throw another party where more people can talk about the baby.

“They’re guilting me into it since we told then so late.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Yeah.” And then she’s pouting at him, and that’s not fair at all, because he can’t resist that, ever. “Look, you won’t have to do that much, I’ll plan everything, and you just show up.”

“Fine.” She smiles wide, and he instantly knows that it’s worth it. _The things I do for you Tess._ He also knows that he’s totally going to get roped into working on it, but that’s okay. She’s smiling at him, and a happy mom makes a happy baby.

So, no, he doesn’t get to find out the sex of his baby quite yet.

“Actually, could you print us pictures and write it down on a sheet of paper or something? We’re going to have a reveal party.”

The OB/GYN seems enthused about the concept. “Of course! Those seem so cute, and it really brings everybody together.”

“Thank you so much.” She wipes the gel off Tessa’s stomach, and then excuses herself to grab the photos. Tessa gets off the exam table, and they wait for her to return.

“We could peek.”

“Scott!”

“What? The party isn’t for two days, and I want to know.” She rolls her eyes, thinking about how she thought they had already settled this.

“We are not peeking. We’ve waited this long, we can wait two more days.”

“Fine.”

“Thank you.” The doctor re-enters the room and hands them the pictures and a folded-up sheet of paper. Tessa puts the items in her purse, and they thank the doctor again and leave the clinic. At the parking lot, she follows him to his car to make sure they’re on the same page before they part ways.

“I will go give this to Jordan. We get to pop a balloon or something.” He looks at her, and she can tell he is not enthused.

“Fun.”

She feels a little bad, after all, she’s making them wait. “Look, if really want you can look, this whole ordeal is my fault so it’s fine.”

Scott is shocked. “I’m not finding out before you. We do this together. I can wait.” She doesn’t look completely reassured. “It’s fine, we can do this.”

“Okay. I’ll see you at the party, okay?”

“Of course.” He turns to leave, pauses, and pivots around.

“What? Oh.” He drops down and presses a kiss to a stomach.

“Are you going to do this every time now?” Her voice is fond, not frustrated.

“Well, you said it didn’t make you uncomfortable. And that’s my baby. So yes.”

“It’s sweet.” He looks up at her while smiling.

“I’m a total softy.” He’s obviously joking, but when Tessa actually thinks about it, it’s true.

“You are for the baby.” Suddenly he feels nervous, as if he’s doing something wrong, even though he knows he isn’t.

“Maybe. See you later Tess.” He drives away, and she is left to ponder that development.

***

Two days later, they’re having another party at Tessa’s apartment, and she is stressed. Parties take a lot of energy. The place is decorated in pink and blue galore, from the streamers to the food. She is wearing a pink dress, and she convinced Scott to wear a blue sweater, wanting to cover both bases. He only had to help a little bit, and that was mostly just moving furniture around, which he didn’t want her to do. She did most of it, with help from the moms and Jordan. Even though she doesn’t care what sex her baby is, she’s still nervous. Well, it’s not that she doesn’t care, of course she cares, it’s her _baby,_ but she’s going to be happy either way. She just really wants to know. After the massive amount of people arrived, _who knew we had this many friends and relatives,_ it is finally time for the main event.

Jordan leads a big black balloon into the living room and has a pin in her hand.

“You two ready?” The pair look at each other and nod. He stands right beside her, and grabs her hand, wanting to be as close as possible. Tessa grabs the pin from Jordan and hesitantly pokes the balloon. The next thing she knows, there’s pink confetti everywhere. The room erupts into cheers, she doesn’t realize that she’s crying until the tears are appearing on her dress. She’s just so happy, and the emotion is overwhelming. When she turns to face Scott, he’s staring at her in disbelief, and she sweeps him up in a hug. Instantly after they release, he drops down to her stomach, causing Tessa to start to giggle. She’s laughing and crying again, and that makes him even happier than he thought possible.

“Hey baby. This is your dad talking, and I just found out that you’re a girl. I’m very excited to meet you, and I love you so much already.” He looks up at Tessa and is mildly concerned when he sees her tears have increased.

“Hey what’s wrong? You okay?” She nods, but they don’t stop streaming down her face.

“I’m fine. It’s just so happy. And you’re going to be such a great dad. And I just have a lot of feelings right now.” _I couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else and I’m so thankful._

He searches her eyes to make sure, and nods when he realizes she’s being honest.

“Okay.” They get pulled in separate directions by their excited relatives, and everyone wants to have individual conversations about the baby. All the people here are so happy for them and are very pleased to hear that everything is going well. Pictures are passed out, and they nearly run out of copies.

After a couple of hours and a successful event, the apartment is empty again. The party took a lot out of her, so Tessa decides to go to bed early. While attempting to get comfortable, she decides to try talking to her daughter. Scott seems to enjoy it, so it must be worth a shot.

“Hi.” She clears her throat, trying to shake off the awkwardness.

“This is your mom. I learned that you’re a girl today, and I’m so happy I’m having you. I don’t think I knew how much I need you until I got pregnant, and I already love you lots.”

Thinking about the baby leads to thinking about Scott, which is a multitude of feelings. She has a flashback to earlier in the day, when Scott was talking to the baby and it finally sunk in. She sighs and decides to share her feelings with her daughter. She can’t tell anyone, and it feels good to get it off her chest.

“Guess what baby. Today, I realized that I’m in love with your dad.” She’s a little misty at this point, and she is so very tired.

“I know that kind of sounds silly, because you’re supposed to fall in love before you have kids, but me and your daddy are kind of odd. We don’t do things the normal way.” _Well that’s for sure. Our relationship has always never been simple._

She shakes herself out of her thoughts. “But anyways, your dad is the best person you’ll ever meet. He’s supportive, and kind, and loves you so much. You couldn’t ask for anyone better to be with you for life. You’re so lucky.” Her eyes close, and she begins to drift off into dreamland.

_And I’m totally in love with him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, this is still the same author as before. I just added a pseud to match my twitter and tumblr, which you should definitely check out! I should be posting when I update on those sites! Just wanted to clarify.


	6. Month Six- Cravings and Kicks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3 am phone calls suck. Except when they're from Tessa Virtue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I don't know how much I like this chapter, but I think it went okay. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy reading about their developments! Thank you all!

 

Scott’s in the middle of a great dream, when suddenly he is woken up by his phone ringing. He normally puts his phone on silent or turns it off at night, but he must have forgotten to tonight. A quick glance at the clock reveals it’s currently three am, and he is quickly becoming upset. _There is no good reason to call at three am._ Cursing himself, he grabs it, intending to reject the call. When he sees Tessa’s face on the screen, he shakes his head, trying to wake up. Suddenly worried about the baby, he accepts the call.

 

“T it’s three am what up?” There’s silence for a moment, and he looks at the phone to make sure the call is still connected. It is.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hey. Ahh umm. This is weird. Did I wake you up?” She sounds very hesitant, and that isn’t doing anything to alleviate his concerns.

 

“Well, it is three in the morning, a time when most people are asleep, so yes. Did something happen with the baby? Are you in pain? Do you need to go to the hospital?” He knows Tessa wouldn’t call him at three in the morning for no reason, so he just wants to get to the bottom of it so he can go back to bed.

 

“No, its fine. I just I really need pickles and ice cream. Vanilla ice cream.” He’s silent for a minute, trying to understand her request.

 

“Tessa, are you calling me at three am because you need pickles and ice cream?” She instantly feels like an idiot and moves to try to end the conversation. She had just been trying to get comfortable all night and wasn’t feeling tired at all. She hadn’t realized that was late until she had picked up her phone. After she dialed his number she realized she could have gotten the items herself, but it was too late. He had just instantly sprung to mind, and she had went with it.

 

“Yeah, this is stupid sorry. I’ll hang up.” _Think of how weird this is to him._

 

He shakes his head, realizes she can’t see him, and moves to interrupt her.

 

“No, Tessa its fine. It’s just kind of weird.” He’s already shrugging out of bed and fumbling around for his clothing. This is clearly important to her, so it takes precedence over his sleep schedule. 

 

“Yeah yeah, I know it is. But anyways, you’re right, I should just go get it myself _.” Tessa you’re an adult you either get over it or go out and get it yourself._

 

He can feel her embarrassment seeping through the phone and tries to reassure her that it’s fine.

 

“I said I would be with you and the baby and do all this stuff and that includes getting pickles and ice cream.” He’s in the middle of tying his shoelaces when he realizes how odd of a combination that is.

 

“Do you even like pickles and ice cream? No offense, but it sounds like a gross pair.” She sighs and is unable to explain it. It’s not like she controls her cravings.

 

“It’s what the baby wants.”

 

“Okay. I’ll be right over, just have to stop at the store quick.”

 

She’s relieved, and settles back into bed, still trying to get comfortable.

 

“Okay, thanks.” He hangs up the phone and quickly drives to the local grocery store, that is, for some reason, open at this hour. There is nobody on the roads, and it’s almost peaceful. He parks, enters, and grabs a basket. Rummaging around the store, he finds the pickles first. He isn’t sure how many she wants, so he grabs the biggest jar. _She’ll eat them eventually._

 

He makes his way to the freezer aisle and spots the vanilla ice cream. He decides to pick the gallon container, because, again, he doesn’t know how much is needed. Once he gets to the checkout, the cashier raises her eyebrows but doesn’t say anything. He’s too tired to comment on it, so he thanks her and leaves.

 

Arriving at Tessa’s apartment, he rings her doorbell, waiting for her to let him in. He waits a minute, and when she hasn’t come to the door yet, rings it again, hoping she hadn’t fallen asleep. Scott hears things moving around and smiles when Tessa opens the door. His eyes are instantly drawn to her stomach, as per usual, and feels happiness when he sees it.

 

“Hey.” He thrusts out the food like an offering. “Here you go.”

 

She looks down. “Thanks. Do you want to come in?”

 

He nods and follows her into her place. Her place is tastefully decorated, and it seems like she’s lived there forever, even though it’s only been a few months. She takes a bowl out of the cupboard and scoops a generous portion of the ice cream into it. Then, Tessa opens the pickle jar and puts three of them on top of her ice cream. Scott grimaces at the sight but says nothing. She realizes he’s still here and feels the need to be polite.

 

“You want some?”

 

“I’m good. You enjoy that combo.” She rolls her eyes.

 

“It’s not for me. It’s for the baby.”

 

“Whatever you say Tess. So, what’s up? Why the cravings this early in the morning?” She finishes her ice cream and sets her spoon down.

 

“I couldn’t sleep, and this just sounded really good. It’s hard sleeping with your center off balance. I usually only feel asleep right away when I’m super tired now, and that wasn’t the case tonight. And I didn’t want to go shopping, because I’m pregnant and didn’t want to go outside, so I called you. Sorry.”

 

He waves her off. “It’s fine.”

 

“If you say so.”

 

They make small talk for a bit, just about his job and her family, when he can tell she’s getting tired. Her yawns are happening more frequently, and she is rubbing her eyes. He knows she’ll never kick him out, so he decides it’s his job to bring up the topic of his exit. She’s grateful, he can see it in her eyes, and they begin their goodbyes.

 

He’s putting his jacket, getting ready to leave, when he hears a gasp from behind him. He turns around, and Tessa has her hands on her stomach, her face all screwed up. He rushes over to her.

 

“Hey Tessa, what’s wrong?” His protective instincts are flaring up, and if she was feeling normal she would probably tease him for it. She isn’t though, so she appreciates the gesture. She doesn’t understand what’s happening with her stomach, but it hasn’t occurred before and feels odd.

 

“I don’t know. It just feels weird right now. Like my stomach is like fluttering or something, and I can’t control it.” It happens again, and she cringes.

 

Scott sighs in relief, instantly knowing is going on. He is an uncle many times over, so he’s experienced this phenomenon before.

 

“Oh T, that’s our baby”

 

“What?” _I know something’s wrong with the baby, what else could it be. How are you so relaxed right now?_

 

He can see that she doesn’t understand what he meant and is still freaking out and staring at her stomach.

 

“Our baby is kicking.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Her eyes flash up at him, and she sees that he’s teary eyed. This triggers her reflexes, and then she’s crying. It’s a mix of hormones, fear, and relief. The weird fluttering happens again, and she grabs his hand and puts it on her abdomen. They’re patient, and a few minutes later, it occurs, and Scott can feel it. _He can feel his daughter moving._

 

“Holy shit.”

 

“Holy shit.” She echoes, and then they’re smiling at each other and trying to continue to feel their baby.

 

“I can actually feel our baby like moving around.”

 

“This is amazing.” Her fear is evaporated, and she just feels pure joy. The ice cream is forgotten, melting on the counter, and all Tessa can focus on is her daughter. Her amazing, beautiful, and so alive daughter. Scott has a similar expression on his face, and he feels so blessed. _Thank God she’s doing this with me. I couldn’t do this with someone else._

 

Tessa interrupts his chain of thought.

 

“Now it’s real.” He nods, and notices again how tired she is. She needs sleep for the baby, so he wants to make sure she takes care of herself. He should probably leave, since she needs the rest.

 

“Get some sleep, T.”

 

“Yeah, you’re right.” She follows him to the door, and when they arrive, she gives him a warm embrace. He squeezes tight, and then drops down to give his daughter the traditional stomach kiss.

 

“I’ll see you soon okay? Thanks for everything.” Her soft smile means everything, and he is glad he has the honor of being here.

 

“You’re welcome. Love you.”

 

“Love you too.” He gently shuts the door behind him and exits the building. Scott finds his car easily enough and starts the engine.

 

On the drive back to his apartment, he finally allows himself to think about what he had realized earlier. Up until this point, he believed things were purely platonic between them. Sure, they had a deep level of emotional intimacy and were about to raise a child together, but that was normal for them. This changed when he was with her tonight. Just looking at her, with his baby, and talking to her, and feeling that he couldn’t do this with anyone else. Or that he wouldn’t even _want_ to. That’s not platonic, or normal. He can’t say anything though, because it’s Tessa. He can’t bear the thought of losing her or his daughter. Overall, it can be summed up in one single thought that sent him flying.

 

_Holy shit I’m in love with Tessa._

 

When he finally makes his way home and into his bed, he intentionally leaves his phone on. He knows he’s not turning his phone off at night ever again, not when he could have missed something like that. It’s not worth it.

 


	7. Month Seven- Moving In Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It logically makes sense for them to move in together. For the baby. That's all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovely readers! Thanks for the responses to the last chapter. I read all the comments, and they are appreciated so much. They definitely brighten my day. I hope you like this part, and it's crazy that there's only three months to go. Plus the epilogue. Plus the extras. Well, I guess we aren't close to done after all. Sorry for the long note, those who are still reading this. If you're still here, I send my virtual affection. xx

Tessa started reading parenting books lately, and instead of comforting her and helping her relax, they have made her more anxious. There’s so many things to do before the baby comes, and she’s scared she’s going to do something wrong and hurt the baby at every turn. They make single parenting sound almost impossible, and while Scott is there, it’s not the same. They haven’t worked out a custody plan yet, and there’s so many variables. She knows he’ll come over whenever she asks, but there’s a lot of daily stuff that needs to be done. Right now, he comes over ever other evening, but the baby could change that. Additionally, because of fact that her stomach keeps growing, she can’t do everything she wants to. Simple tasks are made harder, and she has conflicting feelings between asking more of Scott and asking less. So far, they’ve ignored it, but she isn’t sure how long they can stay in this limbo state.

Scott can tell that Tessa is more stressed than normal. Everything’s fine with the baby, he’s asked multiple times, but she seems off. At dinner she’s always quiet, and he feels like he should be doing something but he doesn’t know what. Finally, it all comes to a head during one of their shared meals.

“Tessa.” She looks up at him, and he’s shocked to see how tired she looks. She’s beautiful, she always is, but the circles under her eyes are enormous and her hair looks like it hasn’t been washed in a week.

“What’s wrong?” She sets her fork down and tries to see what answer he wants. There’s the brush off answer, or there’s the in-depth conversation. She really isn’t in the mood for either.

“I’m fine.” She resumes eating her salad, and Scott can’t believe she’s trying to ignore this. It’s so evident that something is wrong, and he could be able to see that even if he didn’t know her like he does. Anyone could.

“You aren’t fine. Don’t lie to me, not about this.” _Never lie to each other my ass._

“Fine. I’m always tired. I miss skating, which I can’t do since my center of gravity is off. I have to pick out all the nursery stuff and confirm all the doctor appointments. I have to make my life seem normal and nonpregnant to keep my sponsorship deals, since we haven’t announced the pregnancy yet. I have to deal with our parents, because they keep hovering. I have to make sure I’m getting all my vitamins, and make sure I’m not eating the wrong thing. I have to figure out how everything else is going to work, and that’s just the stuff on the top of my head. So, do you know what, I’m not fine. I’m overwhelmed and scary and I don’t know what I should do.”

She’s crying by the end of this and he is in shock, trying to absorb the information. He feels guilty, because he should have been doing more. _That’s your girl and your baby, and you have to do right by them. You gotta go all in._

“I’m so sorry T.”

“It’s not your fault.” _I can handle it myself. He doesn’t want more than this. Remember that._

“Not all of it. But some of it is on me. I should have been here more. You’re my best friend, and it’s our baby.” _I love her so much._

“But I should have communicated with you better. That’s on me.” _I love him so much._

“Okay. How can we do better?” This reminds her of when they were training, especially post-Sochi, and they went to all those marriage counselors. They definitely made the relationship better, but it’s almost funny how much therapy they’ve been through already. Still, she doesn’t regret any of it for a second and tries to think of strategies that she remembers from there that could be applied here.

“I think I should move in with you. If it’s okay. I think it would be more stable and good for the baby.”

Scott looks nervous when he says this, as if he thinks she’s going to shoot him down immediately. However, the idea does make sense. They’ve lived together before and it’s worked well, and it’s better logistically. Instead of having to get two of everything they only need one. It’s more stable overall, and she would get support during the nights. Of course, when they start dating again then it will have to change. _When Scott starts dating again, he’s a catch._ The only problem she can think of is that it’s a two-bedroom apartment.

“That’s a good idea.” He looks relived, and she squeezes his hand with a tight smile.

“I really like it. So, you can take the spare bedroom and the baby can stay with me. We can try get something bigger later, once we get this settled out.”

Of course, she’s trying to be a martyr, willing to give up her bedroom to the baby, but he refuses to let her. He’s moving in, so he can sacrifice. Besides, it’s going to be harder on her, so she needs proper sleep. He has to contribute in some way, and if sleeping on the couch is what it takes, then that’s what he’ll do.

“No, I’m not going to make you have the baby in your room. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Now that ridiculous, you are not moving in to sleep on the couch.” She pauses, shakes her head, and starts to exit the room.

“Tessa.” She pauses, turning back to him. “Look, let me do this. You’ve done so much already, for me and the baby, so let me attempt to meet you halfway.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to resent me.”

“Never.” _Resenting you would be worse than hating myself, because I would be missing part of my soul._

“Okay.” She still looks a little tense, so he crosses the room to her.

“We good?”

“Always.” Scott picks her up in a hug, but she can’t get as close as she usually does, with the bump in between them. She misses their closeness, but the baby is the only thing that could make it worth it.

“Alright. Let’s plan this.”

They start making plans, where things will go within the apartment and where Scott can put some of his stuff for temporary storage. It’s a bit of a complicated process, but Scott makes the calls and works things out, and Tessa tries to go with the flow. At the end of the day, they have a solid idea of what is going to happen, and Tessa feels relaxed for the first time in a while. This was definitely a good idea.

***

A few days later, across town, Kate decides to call Alma, trying to make sure she’s heard the same thing she has.

“My daughter just called to inform me that Scott is moving in to her apartment. Did you hear that?”

“I did. Very interesting. Do you think they finally got together?” She feels like she would have heard so if they did, but you never know with those two.

“No. She said it was an idea they came up with that was best for the baby. Something about stress and better communication.” Alma is rolling her eyes as she hears this, remembering all the lengths they’ve gone to maintain their strictly friendship relationship.

“So, they are platonically moving in together. This is getting ridiculous. Scott is pining, and he calls me all the time to talk about Tessa and the baby. It’s quite sweet, but I don’t know how much more I can take.”

“Exactly. Tessa talks to me about it all the time too. I know we both swore to never intervene, but this is a whole new level of denial.” There’s something refreshing about talking to another person who cares about your daughter almost as much as she does, and she is thankful for Alma Moir.

“We can’t say anything. I wish I could knock their heads together, literally.”

“Me too. Well I hope that they’ll work it out. For my granddaughter, of course.”

“Of course.” _I want more grandchildren. And my children happy._

“Well, I have many things to do today, but I just wanted to make sure we are on the same page, even if they aren’t.”

“For sure. It’s always great to talk to you.”

“We still good for tea on Saturday?” They have a standing appointment, created during all those years of competition and practices, and it seems like a shame to throw that away. Besides, they have wonderful conversations.

“Always. Goodbye!”

“Goodbye.” Kate hangs up the phone and gets to work. She’s a busy woman after all, and time never stops.

***

Eventually, it’s time to move all of Scott’s stuff into Tessa’s apartment. He doesn’t have that much, but there’s plenty of boxes for the two of them. Their family members had offered to help out, but the pair turned them down, after all, they had just helped Tessa move to Montreal. It felt like too much. Besides, they would be calling on them soon enough when the baby comes, so they didn’t want to cash in their favors too early.

“I feel like we just did this.” Scott remembers moving Tessa in like it was yesterday, back when her stomach was tiny and he had no clue he was in love with her. So much has changed since then, and it’s crazy how fast time passes.

“That’s because we did.” Tessa’s carrying around boxes and placing them in rooms, and he won’t lie and say he’s not concerned about the amount of physical activity she’s doing. She can take care of herself, but if he grabs the heaviest items instead of her, then so be it. After going at it for a while, he calls for a break. She’s too stubborn to do it, even though he can see how tired she is. She’s a strong and powerful athlete, that’s for sure and will never change, but she’s seven months pregnant. Almost everything is unloaded and in their appropriate rooms, so a celebratory break is in order.

“You need to take breaks.” She looks up at him, surprised. “It’s your job to protect my baby.”

“Your baby huh?” She’s smiling, so he knows she’s not mad and is only teasing. Banter with Tessa is always entertaining, and her smile is worth any conversation.

“Fine. Our baby.”

“That’s better.” She moves to ignore his suggestion and grab the next item, but that won’t do.

“Seriously though, Tess, breaks are good.”

“Okay, then you can take a break too.” Seeing this as the only way to appease her, he flops down on the couch. Patting the seat alongside him, she laughs and sits down. He drags her legs across his body, and he can hear her lie down, settle in, and relax. He plans to only rest for ten minutes or so, but when he’s ready to get up he finds that she has dozed off. _So there Miss I’m Tessa Virtue and I Don’t Need Breaks._ She looks adorable while she’s sleeping, and he can see her stomach rise and fall with each breath. Scott suddenly feels so blessed when looking at the scene in front of him. He and his best friend are having a baby, and everything gone well so far. _Except for the part where you know that she’s the love of your life and she doesn’t feel the same._

Well, everything else has gone wonderfully. She doesn’t look like she’s going to wake up anytime soon, so he decides to try to get comfortable. He feels his exhaustion catching up to him, and slowly begins to fall asleep. Almost everything is set up, and his is in his ‘bed’, so it feels appropriate. They’ll have a late dinner when they wake up, but laying here, with her, with their _baby,_ he wouldn’t trade that for the world.


	8. Month Eight- Public Annoucement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things come to a head when they finally reveal to the world that Tessa is pregnant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! woah, somehow this got to 2.4k. this fic has gotten way larger than I originally planned. anyways, thank you all for the kind comments/kudos. you are all amazing. hope you like this!

Things have been good since Scott moved in, and they’ve fallen into a comfortable rhythm. He feels much more involved with the baby, and that he can help Tessa more. They alternate who cooks, does the laundry, and cleans the bathroom, and it all feels very domestic. They’re watching a movie in the living room, just one of those classics Tessa loves, when she brings up the topic of a media statement.

“Hey. We should probably make a statement or something. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but people can tell that somethings up.”

She knows that they have to do it eventually, and after keeping their daughter private for a while, it’s probably time to share her with the world. They’re still going to be in the spotlight, with Stars on Ice, doing commentary and their other ventures. They can’t, or they won’t pretend that she doesn’t exist. They owe it to Canada, and more importantly, they owe it to her.

“Okay.” He’s always been more relaxed about social media and publicity, so he takes it as it is. If Tessa thinks it’s a good idea, then it probably is.

“Great.”

After thinking about the proper way to do things, she decides to post an ultrasound picture, with the words _Tessa Virtue_ printed clearly in the corner. She captions it with a single heart, doesn’t tag anyone, and then leaves it alone. Tessa pointedly doesn’t look at any of the comments, not wanting to see all the questions that will inevitably pop up.

“Done.” He looks up at her, surprised.

“That was it?”

“Well, for right now. I’m sure people will be calling for an exclusive later, but it’s out.” He still looks confused, so she tries to explain.

“I just posted a picture.”

“Oh. I didn’t get a notification.” Tessa shifts in her seat, feeling uncomfortable.

“Well we didn’t talk about that part, and we aren’t together, so I thought it would be easier to not say that yet. We can when we give an interview, that way we can control it, but I don’t trust the internet.”

“Okay.” _She doesn’t want to make this public. It’s not personal._

“Are you upset?” She could see why, but she honestly didn’t think it would bother him that much. They’ve told the people important to them the truth, and he’s barely on social media. _People are going to think we’re together, and that’s too close to what I want._

“A little.” He chooses to be honest, even though he doesn’t quite understand why he’s mad. It isn’t fair for him to be jealous or something, because she’s right, they aren’t together.

Suddenly, she sits up and separates herself from him.

“I can’t do this anymore.” Scott is very confused, as he thought they were having a good discussion. There wasn’t any yelling, and everything was civil.

“What?”

“I can’t keep pretending I’m okay with this.” He looks around, searching for something to explain her strange behavior.

“What do you mean? Did I do something?” _What did you fuck up Moir._

She moves to reassure him immediately.

“No no of course not. You’re perfect. You’re so fucking perfect that I can’t stand it. You’re going to be such a good dad, and you’ve been so patient with me and all my shit.” _I love him, and I can’t exist like this anymore._

“So, then what’s the problem? Tess you gotta talk to me.” While he’s glad that he didn’t do something wrong, there is obviously an issue at hand.

“What’s the problem? What’s the problem?” She decides she’s officially at her breaking point, and that things are _finally_ going to come out.

“T you gotta calm down this is bad for the baby.” He reaches for her arms and tries to rub them to calm her down.

“I know. I know. But I can’t handle this anymore.”

“Handle what?” Tessa looks up at him, and she has tears in her eyes. _Very bad sign. Very bad._

“The fact that I’m in love with you.” He feels the ground leave his feet, and his heart rate has jumped up exponentially. She couldn’t have possibly said that, but she just did. He realizes he still has to pay attention, because she isn’t done with her statement yet.

“I can’t deal with it. And now I’m going to raise our child with you and it’s going to be awkward as hell because I’m in love with you and you love me platonically. That’s fine, but you’re going to be going on dates and stuff and I have to watch you fall in love with someone else because you’re my best friend and I’m in love with you.”

He can’t help but laugh at that statement. _Fall in love with someone other than Tessa? That’s never been a remote possibility._

Tessa hears his laughter and is hurt. _Well that answers that._

“Why are you laughing at me? Am I really that fucking pathetic to you? Fine.” She moves to grab her purse and find her keys.

“I’m going to my mother’s house for the night.”

“Tess wait.” _No baby let me explain._

Tessa’s eyes get fiery, a combination of sadness and frustration. All the tears have dried off her face, and she just wants to _leave,_ and to try and escape the truth.

“Why? So you can pity me or something? Look, we’ll be fine okay I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She’s at the doorway, ready to walk out. He hasn’t moved off the couch yet, waiting for her to calm down.

“Tessa.” He stands up, and slowly approaches her, not wanting to scare her.

“What. What Scott.” He takes a deep breath and decides to go for it.

“I’m in love with you too.” Her face changes instantly, and she drops her tough façade. “Calm down kiddo. Everything is going to be fine, okay.” He grabs her hands, trying to ground her.

“You’re in love with me?” Tessa can’t believe this is happening, that this is real, after all these years.

He lets out a choked-up laugh. “For god’s sake of course, I am. How could I not be? Tessa, I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember” _It’s always been you._

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Fair.” _It doesn’t matter what happened before, it’s about what happens now._ “What were we doing?”

“I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. But I know that I love you, that I’m in love with you, and that I love our daughter. And that’s all that matters.”

“Thank god.”

He doesn’t know who moves first, but they next thing he knows he’s kissing Tessa. There’s been so many almosts over the years that he could almost imagine what it would be like, but it was never quite like this. She tastes like cherry Chapstick and vanilla and forever. He knows that this is his future, his past, and his present all coming together. He vaguely notices that she has set her purse down and is now running her hands up and down his back, but he’s focused on her lips. Her cheeks are flushed, and he’s pretty sure his are as well. She looks so perfect, and this is everything he’s ever wanted.

Tessa eventually leads them to her bedroom, where they continue to kiss and explore each other’s bodies. They’ve obviously had sex together before, but this feels different, and it’s almost more intimate. They’re more aware of everything happening between then, and it feels less rushed. There’s still passion there, but it’s almost if they both know that they have forever. There’s no need to try to do everything, because they have all the time in the world. Plus, Tessa’s stomach is pretty big at this point, so some things aren’t physically possible. So, they continue to enjoy themselves, and keep remembering how happy they are. This is actually happening. It’s not post-competition stress, or being drunk, or a dare. It’s just them. The way it’s supposed to be.

The next morning, Tessa remembers the picture she posted about the baby. This recent development has changed things, and she wants to make sure they’re okay. Her agent wants to book a magazine spread with an interview, and she needs to make sure he’s in.

“Scott.” She nudges his shoulder and he wakes up gently,

“How honest are we going to be about this?” He’s too tired for this but tries to focus on what she’s saying.

“What do you mean?”

“Like do we say that we’re together?” He suddenly remembers the exclusive she had talked about last night, before _everything else_ happened. When he looks over Tessa, she’s blushing, and he isn’t quite sure why.

“I mean we are together, right?” She’s playing with her fingers, a sign of her nerves. _I mean we had sex, but we’ve done that before and we didn’t get together then. This time he’s in love with me though, so hopefully that changes things._

Now it’s his turn to look sheepish. “I mean yeah.” He scratches the back of his neck. “If you want to be.”

“I do.”

“Good.” They smile at each other for a moment, and then remember their real-life obligations.

“Okay. Then let’s book an interview.” Tessa texts her agent the go-ahead and knows she’ll get an interview description and plan within an hour.

Soon enough, the next day they have an all-day photoshoot and interview. The pictures come first, and it’s mostly Tessa wearing a lot of gorgeous clothes highlighting the baby bump and Scott near them. There are some cute poses, some of the same as when they had taken pictures before. He likes the one where he sticks his flat stomach out to match hers, and she likes when he’s kissing the bump and she’s smiling ahead. Overall, it’s not their worst photoshoot, but she’s tired at the end of it. Being eight months pregnant is exhausting, and so are pictures. When it’s time for the interview portion, she’s thankful that it’s in print and not recorded. She still tries to look nice, of course, but there’s less pressure.

Their interviewer is a nice woman they’ve met before, who knows the line between pushing and violating privacy.

“Congratulations you two. You obviously been pregnant for a while.” She gestures to the evident bump. “So why the wait?”

Tessa chooses to field that one, given that it was largely her decision.

“We just wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while. We are both naturally private people, and I think we both really valued that time. But we knew she was an important part of our lives, and ultimately, we needed to share her with the world.”

The interviewer nods and moves to the next question on her list.

“So how long have you two been together? There’s been rumors since Vancouver in 2010, and they increased after Sochi in 2018, so what’s the truth?”

They’ve talked about how they were going to answer this question, as they didn’t want to exactly tell the truth, but they didn’t want to lie either.

“We got together recently.” Scott tries to make it sound clear-cut, and that a follow-up question would not be appreciated. The interviewer can sense this and decides to move on.

“How did your parents react?”

“They were very happy. They’ve been rooting for us for a while, and they love children, so they are excited. We all are.”

“So, you guys are happy about it?”

Scott grabs Tessa’s hand, still feeling the excitement from their new relationship.

“Yes, we’re very happy.”

“Did you guys decide to find out about what sex it is? Or what name you’re going to pick?”

“It’s a girl, and we haven’t picked a name yet.”

“Well congratulations again, thank you both very much.”

“You’re welcome.” The interviewer shuts the audio recorder off and they move to shake her hand.

“Great working with you guys again.”

“As always. Have a good night!”

“You as well.”

They exit the studio, and on the way home, Tessa suddenly gasps. Scott turns to her.

“What?”

“We didn’t tell our moms yet.” He represses the urge to sink down into his seat. It’s a childish reflex, but he like he got caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to do.

“Oh shit.”

“It’s okay, we’ll call them when we get back.”

If Scott drives a little faster home, nobody notices. He’s scared that they will find out before they tell them, which is impossible. Still, he can’t keep it off his mind. Once they finally get back to the apartment, Tessa is a ball of nervous energy.

“I can’t believe we forgot.”

“Babe it’s going to be fine they’re going to be happy.”

“Yeah, you’re right”

Since she’s so nervous, he sets up the group call.

“Hey, we’re putting you two on a conference call okay.” They give their confirmation, and Tessa nods at him.

“We’re together. Like dating or whatever.”

“Scott!”

“We’re in a relationship. Like officially.” There’s silence for a bit on the other ends, and then it is broken by their babbling.

“Finally!”

“About time.”

“I mean congrats, but nobody is surprised.”

“Literally nobody, but we’re happy for you guys.” Once they’ve finally calmed down, they make small talk about the baby. They pointedly don’t mention exactly how they got together, but instead claim it just ‘happened.’ Eventually, Tessa is unable to stop yawning, so he goes to end the call.

“We love you both. Tessa is about to fall asleep on the line, so we’ll talk to you later.”

“I am not!” She sleepy glares at him, which fails to be intimidating

“She is. Goodnight.”

“Night!”

“Night!”

After ending the call, Scott goes to get comfortable and get ready to go to sleep. Before going to bed, she goes back to the original picture she posted on Instagram and tags Scott. She also posts a new picture, one of the maternity pictures their moms made them take. She’s grinning up at him, and he’s looking at her with the softest eyes imaginable. It had felt kind of silly, taking them, since they weren’t together and all, but the parents had insisted. Now, she is glad that they did. She knows there was going to be a reaction to the post, so she turns off her phone right away. She climbs into bed, smiling when she finds Scott right there. He wakes up a bit and turns to her.

“Night T.”

“Goodnight.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Those words had a new meaning now, and she enjoys hearing them.

_I will love you until the end of time._


	9. Month Nine- Last Minute Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's never as simple as it should be, and that encompasses everything in their relationship, including getting a car seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So it's been a couple days, sorry! I've just been busy, and this chapter was kind of hard to write for some reason. I hope you guys like it, and thank you all for the sweet comments/kudos given so far. you're all amazing. also, shoutout to the business partners gc, y'all are incredible. xx

Scott, for some reason, is convinced that their baby is going to come early. Tessa isn’t quite sure why, but she goes along with it, if only so he doesn’t stress out. She hopes he isn’t projecting from having relationships issues, but she’s not sure. It’s all pretty new, but lately she’s been so busy focusing on the baby that she hasn’t thought about it that much.

Tessa starts to run through the hospital list, something that their moms had created together. It was supposed to help them be ‘ready’. Really, she just took it so they would stop hovering. They have diapers, a going home outfit, socks, and their birth plan, along with other items, all in the bag. When she comes to the last item, it isn’t checked off. Maybe he got it but didn’t check it off. He definitely forgets about the list sometimes.

“Scott, did we get a car seat?” She looks back at him, and he is the most stressed she’s seen him since the Olympics. Maybe even before. His hands are being run through his hair, and his eyes are wide. _Well this is a reaction._

“We don’t have a car seat.”

“What do you mean?” She was sure they had gotten one _. Didn’t we grab it last week? Oh, wait, we got um, distracted. But then we decided to get it on Sunday, oh, and then that got pushed because of family dinner._ She realizes belatedly that it never happened. Meanwhile, Scott is already rambling.

“I mean we never got one. And now the baby is going to come, and we don’t be able to bring her home and we’ll have to live in the hospital forever and” _I already messed up and now everything’s ruined._

“Scott.” She crosses the room to him, and puts her hand on his arm, trying to calm him down. This isn’t really that big of a deal. It’s just a car seat, and they still have time. Not that much time, but enough for a shopping trip.

“Let’s just go get one. I’m pretty sure they’re common items.” He ignores her, and it’s like she isn’t there and he’s off in his own world.

“How did we forget? It was on the list, and your mom mentioned it like eighty times and”

“Scott.” He finally makes eye contact with her, and his shoulders slump downward. She still doesn’t understand why he’s so upset about this, but right now it doesn’t matter. Right now, she just needs for him to take a deep breath and realize that things are going to be alright.

“It’s fine okay. We just need to go to Walmart.” She’s assuming this can wait until morning, since she was about to go to bed, but apparently he has other plans.

“Okay, let’s go.” _I have to fix this._

“Right now?”

“Well I’d rather sooner than later. You never know when,” he points at her stomach, “she’s going to come.”

He moves toward the door, starting to lace up his shoes and pull his jacket on.

“Wait.” Tessa looks down and remembers she’s in ratty sweats and an old sweatshirt. That won’t do. She still needs to look nice, since she has to keep her endorsements. She has to pay for the baby’s stuff somehow. She doesn’t mind looking nice most of the time, she actually enjoys it, but it is inconvenient occasionally.

“I need to change, or people will take pictures. Especially since the announcement and photoshoot, we’re somewhat relevant again. And not just to those people on twitter”

“Babe. It’s just Walmart.”

“I need to look nice.” He sighs, wishing that she would be more comfortable with the general public. Then again, he’s not the one who’s nine months pregnant, so he lets it go, but not until after he makes one last plea.

“You look beautiful.”

Tessa laughs, very aware of her current state. She knows she’s still pretty, but old sweatpants do it for nobody.

“Thanks.” She kisses cheek, gets up, and goes toward the bedroom. “I’m still changing though.”

He never quite understood why she feels so much pressure to be perfect all the time and wishes she would see herself the way he sees her. He’s going to raise his daughter right, and she is going to believe in herself. Then again, with a mom like Tessa, how could she not? _God, how lucky am I?_

“Your mommy is so silly.”

“Heard that!”

Sure enough, they run into fans while shopping around the store. Everyone is polite, which Scott is very grateful for. Tessa so exhausted, and he wants her to be able to go home as soon as possible. He feels a little bit bad for making them come out shopping this late, but he had an uncontrollable panic. He didn’t understand it, as things had been going fine. Something changed when they were going over the list, and he realized how much stuff he had to do and he that wanted things to be perfect. So now he’s smiling and taking pictures, trying to politely hurry people up. Everyone is very congratulatory, and there’s more people than he expected who still care about them. Still, it takes over an hour to get to the car seat section, as they keep getting stopped.

Glancing at the selection, there’s so many brands and kinds that it’s almost overwhelming. How is he supposed to know which one to get? Tessa looks over and sees his deer in the headlights look and giggles softly. _It’s still just a car seat._ She points at one, in the middle of the row.

“That one.”

“Are you sure?” She rolls her eyes, she can handle picking out a car seat.

“Yes. It’s high quality, good safety ratings, and cute.”

“Did you look this up?” _Of course she’s prepared, it’s Tess._

“Yes, I did. What do you think I do all day? I can’t really work anymore.”

“I know.” _She’s already such a mama bear._

He grabs the box down from the counter, puts it in the cart and they make their way to the cashier’s station. After they checkout, Scott offers to drive home, hoping Tessa will take a short nap on the way back. Sure enough, she’s out within minutes, her long day catching up to her. _That’s my T._

Eventually, they make it back to the apartment, and Scott wakes Tessa up gently.

“We’re home baby.” She shifts in her seat, not wanting to get up.

“Come on.”

“Fine” She drags herself out of the car, and Scott grabs the bag with the car seat in it. They can install it in the morning, he’s too wiped to do anything right now. Once they get inside, they make their way to their bedroom and begin to get ready for bed. She’s still taking off her makeup in the adjoining bathroom when Scott reflects about the shopping trip.

“Wow.” He pauses, squinting in concentration. “People still care about us.”

“I mean we still have endorsements so yeah. Plus, there’s people who never stopped ‘shipping’ us.” Tessa exits the bathroom and grabs her pajamas.

“Is that where they thought we were together forever and were dating in PyeongChang?” His social media presence has always been minimal, and he tries to not get involved in it. He just remembers all those interviews after their gold, when they were asked about their relationship all the time.

“I think so. I tried not to get sucked into it. It’s kind of weird.” She hesitates, wanting to phrase her next statement right.

“Like obviously I’m grateful for all our fans, they support us no matter what, but I never imagined people would care so much about me.”

“Well why wouldn’t they? You’re amazing Tess.” She climbs into bed, scoffing at him.

“You’re just saying that because you got me pregnant.”

“C’mon, never. I’ve known you were amazing since I was nine, even if I didn’t realize it.”

This strikes some kind of note within her, and she’s surprised to realize she’s crying, those dang pregnancy hormones.

“Hey babe you okay?” Then he’s cupping her face, and that’s too much. It’s been a long day, with the fans and Scott’s freak out and everything else.

“Yeah.” She gulps, sniffling.

“I’m just really happy. We’re having a baby, and you love me, and things are actually working out.” _I never thought this would happen._

“I know. I know T.” He tries to wipe away her tears, never liking the sight of them. “We came around in the end.”

“But what if we hadn’t? What if I hadn’t gotten pregnant.” Tessa suddenly feels very scared, and like things are going to fall apart. “Then you wouldn’t be in love with me. And then what? We’d be nothing?”

“I’ve been in love with you long before we made our baby. This wasn’t a sudden thing. I realized I loved you suddenly, but it was a buildup.” Scott turns to her and tries to explain this, but their relationship has never been simple.

“But you wouldn’t have acted on it. We would be nothing.” He shakes his head at her, refusing to hear this.

“No, no I refuse to believe that. How could we be nothing? We’ve always been something. and it doesn’t matter, because we’re here, right now. In this universe. That’s what matters.”

“But”

“But nothing. It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters.” He laughs, almost bitter.

“God Tess how don’t you know that? You are the only thing. You and the baby, that’s it. I will do anything for you, no matter what. We said that we cared more about each other than about ourselves, and that’s still true for me. You are my everything, my world.”

There’s silence from her, and they continue to stare at each other. He realizes how much this is, but it’s too late.

“I’m sorry baby. I know this is a lot and we only got together a month ago, but I can’t lie. Falling in love with you is like nothing else. It’s not soft and beautiful and lovely like the movies. It’s hard and rough and sometimes feels like heartbreak.”

He pauses, wanting to emphasize the truth without freaking her out.

“But it doesn’t matter, because I would do it for you any day. So, I understand if you need space, because this really is a lot, but you needed know. I love you, and I can’t bear to hear you think about what if, because we’re here right now.”

Her face has dried, and this exchange has caused her to be emotionally drained.

“Okay.” She takes a deep breath, attempting to understand what he’s trying to tell her.

“Okay. Can we go to sleep?”

“Of course.” He knows she’s going to want to talk about it later, but right now, she needs sleep. He’ll grant her that.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He pulls her in close, and their heartrates sync up. It’s refreshing, and he’s never felt more comfortable while sleeping with someone.

_She’s my world._


	10. Month Ten- Delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally time for Tessa and Scott's daughter to arrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Sorry it's been a while, I was working on another fic. But never fear, I didn't forgot. Hope you guys like it!

They’re relaxing around the apartment, just hanging out, when Tessa is thrown off by her stomach.

Things have been good for them lately. They’ve pretty much been locked up in their own world, rarely leaving the apartment. Things are new for their relationship, but it’s not new at all in some ways. They’re still Tessa and Scott, but now they’re _TessaAndScott_. And the baby. Who, right now, is choosing to make her presence known.

“Ouch.” Scott looks back at Tessa, and she’s hunching over, grimacing. She’s been uncomfortable before this, honestly, she probably hasn’t been comfortable for a while, but she hasn’t been like this. Not in physical pain and agony.

“Do you want to go in to the hospital?”

“Nah I’m fine. I’ve had worse.” She knows that this is probably just an early contraction, but it will last for a while before the baby actually comes. Her mom told her that her first labor lasted forever, so she isn’t expecting things to go quickly. Meanwhile, Scott is concerned.

“Okay, but you don’t have to take the pain, we can go in. I know they have great drugs.” _Take the out T._

“All the pamphlets say to wait until you’re four to five minutes apart for an hour, and it hasn’t been like that long enough.” She’s read all the material provided by the doctors over the past few months and then some extras. They all say to wait until then, or you’re just taking up a bed. It’s a waste of resources, so it makes sense. Scott, however, does not share the same belief.

“Screw the pamphlets, we can go in.” _Don’t you dare try to be a martyr about this Tess. Don’t you fucking dare._

“Scott. I’m fine.” Another contraction comes, and she grips the side of table. This is worse than the last one, but not entirely unbearable. She focuses solely on the pain and her breathing, and when she opens her eyes again, Scott is right in front of her.

“You’re clearly in pain.” He knew she was going to be like this. Probably doesn’t want to waste resources or something. _They don’t matter, you matter. You and the baby._

“I’m pretty sure this is just the beginning.” Scott rolls his eyes and tries to send for backup.

“We should call the moms.” Tessa’s eyes widen immediately, not liking that idea.

“No. Not until we go in, or they’re going to be hovering, and that’s going to stress me out.” He can try to guilt trip her with the parents, but she knows that mentioning her stress will get him off her back.

“Fine.” He’s probably more stressed then she is at this point, but she tries to push him out of her mind. _Breathe Tessa. You can do this._

She decides to calm them both down by watching a movie. It’s nice and easy, and it doesn’t take a lot of focus from her. It’s also very effective at distracting Scott. He notices when she shifts around a bit in his arms, but if she holds her breath for a while he isn’t instantly aware. The plans change, however, when the next contraction brings tears to her eyes and she’s digging her hands into the side of the couch. That draws his attention, and he looks at her with sad eyes. She knows he won’t beg her to go in, he respects her too much for that, but she knows he wants her to. _Fine. For your sake._

“Okay this is really bad we should go in.” He grins internally, thankful she’s willing to go, and hops out of his seat and reaches towards her to help her off the couch. She motions to the hospital bag, and he picks up and hefts it onto his shoulder.

“Don’t you dare say I told you so.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Scott rolls his eyes when she knows he can’t see him, not wanted to get glared at. She has a mean glare. She’s so stubborn, and it would be irritating, but most of the time it’s admirable. Expect when she won’t protect herself, of course.  

As they drive to the hospital, she has to remind him several times to slow down. There’s no need to speed, as that will just get them pulled over. After all, they both know that he can’t talk his way out of a ticket. He tries to appease her, he really does, so he only goes a little over. It’s barely noticeable.

She notices.

Once they get to the hospital, he drops her off at the main entrance and goes to park the car. She checks herself in, familiar with the building due to her appointments. The staff are all kind and helpful, and it’s a very welcoming atmosphere. Once Scott finally arrives, they are escorted to the maternity ward. They then start to fill out some refresher paperwork, just last checks to make sure everything is in order. After the finish, the nurse takes the clipboard and brings them into an exam room, where they check to see how far dilated she is to confirm that she is in active labor. Sure enough, she is, and he very strongly resists the urge to say ‘I told you so.’

It takes a lot of maturity.

He might whisper it when she’s changing into the hospital gown, but she can’t hear it, and that’s what matters. She may be pregnant and in labor, but she could still kick his ass.

They are then moved to a birthing room, where Tessa is connected to a plethora of screens and wires. There’s one monitoring contractions, one on her heartrate, and one on the baby’s heartrate, among others.

Then it’s time for the blood draw and IV to be put in, just in case of complications. She isn’t scared of needles, can’t be after everything they’ve done to their bodies, so she just waits it out and doesn’t look. They had agreed for her to get an epidural, so they call for the anesthesiologist as soon as they can. The doctor is very polite, and the wait isn’t even that bad. Still, when she feels the drugs hit her system, it’s the best she’s felt in a while. She takes a deep breath in relief, and her grip loosens on Scott’s hand.

“Feel better T?

“That’s’ for sure.” Now it’s kind of like it was before labor, but still different. She’s still waiting, and she can still feel the contractions, but it’s less painful than before. _Thank god for pain meds._

Eventually, what feels like hours later, doctor comes in and declares her ready to push. She can’t feel all her body, she’s tired, and she feels gross, but she has Scott. He’s with her the whole time. Every push, every contraction. She feels like she’s going to break his hand, and she knows he would let her. She continues on, and it might be the hardest thing in her life. It’s worse than the surgeries and the training and everything else. With that there’s a timeframe, a set start and end, and this has no such thing. It’s not up to her anymore. Finally, it’s _one last push Tess_ , and she can hear her baby crying.

She can hear her daughter crying.

He can hear his daughter crying.

It’s the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard on this earth, tied with Tessa’s laugh cry combination. It sounds like hope, and life, and limitless potential. He’s a father, and his baby is adorable and small and squirmy and perfect.

She’s perfect. The nurse brings her to him, and he cradles her in his arms and he’s never felt anything like this before. He never understood what his family members meant about becoming parents, and how it changes everything or whatever. It would change things, sure, but the world would not be flipped on its axis.

He was wrong.

Nothing before compares to this. Not winning Olympics, not losing the Olympics, not playing hockey, not anything. There is no adequate comparison. He is holding his daughter, an amazing being that he created. _How lucky am I how lucky am I oh baby._

The nurse comes in later to take their daughter to recovery, just to help her get some sleep and run some basic tests. She insists it’s nothing to worry about and it’s just procedure, and the pair both visibly react. It’s strangely quiet in the room after that now that it’s just them. Tessa’s already used to the cooing and whining, and now it’s just silent. Scott can almost hear her overthinking this, so he steps in.

“Get some sleep Tess.”

“What?” _I need to make sure to call everyone and get things ready and confirm that_

“T” She snaps her head at him, pulled out of her thoughts.

“You need sleep. Everything is fine. I’m calling the family, and everything is going to work out. Okay?”

“Okay.” She turns onto her side, and the only thing she can do is fall into a dreamless sleep, exhausted after the hours of intense labor. It’s so easy.

 _That was easy._ He knew she was going to get herself worked up, so he wanted to deescalate the situation. Plus, she definitely needed to rest. He was exhausted, and he didn’t even deliver the baby. He just nearly broke some fingers.

But he told Tessa he would call their parents, so he exits the room to do so. There’s going to be yelling, and he would hate to wake her up.

Once Tessa wakes up a few hours later, she immediately wants to see her baby. She calls Scott over, sure that he knows where she is.

“She’s in the nursey.” He knows her question before it even escapes her lips. “We can go see her.”

The nurse insists they take the wheelchair, and even though Tessa grumbles, _this is ridiculous I’m an Olympic champion for god’s sake,_ they make their way down where the babies are kept. They go right up to the glass, and they can see their daughter sleeping.

“That’s our baby.”

“She’s right there. We made that.” She smacks him gently.

“She’s not a that.”

“Fine. We made her.” He feels his grin stretching across his face, and there’s no way to control it. He doesn’t want to either. She’s perfect.  

“That’s better.” Tessa is so grateful, and so happy. _I can’t believe this is happening._

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

He drops down, a reminder of when she was pregnant, but this time he kisses her instead. It’s sweet, and slow, and especially gentle. It reminds her of a feather lightly going across her lips. They hear a baby coo, and that distracts them enough to pull them apart. He stands up fully, and they each look at their beautiful, precious daughter. They never intended to create her, but that doesn’t matter because she’s here and they and so, so, glad.

_We love you, Emma Grace Virtue-Moir._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright! now we only have the epilogue left, but don't leave yet! after that I should be posting some extras, so stay tuned. thanks for all the support. you guys are amazing. xx


	11. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five years later, it's time for another skate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. Hope you like it! xx

Little hands shake Tessa awake, and she squints and looks at the clock. Scott is still fast asleep, lucky man.

“Sweetie, it’s only seven am. Your show doesn’t start until eight pm.” Her daughter rolls her eyes at her, a talent she got from her father.

“I know mama. But it’s today.”

“You’re right, it is today.” Tessa really doesn’t want to get up right now, but her daughter has a look in her eyes that makes her believe that she won’t be able to go back to sleep. _Fine._

“Alright, I’m up.” She gets out of bed slowly, and Emma pulls her out of the room and towards the kitchen.

They usually make breakfast together on Saturday mornings, something simple. This morning Tessa decides to make pancakes. It’s only moderately messy and Emma can assist. She loves to feel useful. Together, they get out the ingredients and mixing bowls. They run through their checklists, performing each step with determination. Actually, Tessa makes sure Emma doesn’t accidentally add shells to the batter or something. She never knows with her.

Eventually, Tessa sees Scott emerge from their bedroom and enter the kitchen. He’s in his ‘best dad’ pajamas, a set Emma picked out a couple of weeks ago and insisted they get.

“Morning sleepyhead.”

He smiles up at her, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. “Morning sweetheart. Morning baby.”

He ducks down and places a kiss on Emma’s head, who’s sitting on the counter, and gives one to Tessa.

This title upsets Emma. “I’m not a baby”

“You’re my baby. Forever and ever.”

Emma looks at her mother, hoping she will jump to her defense.

“Mama, tell him I’m not a baby.”

Tessa wants to laugh at Emma’s pout but knows she can’t or it’ll make the situation worse. It’s really adorable though.

“Sorry Ems, he’s right. You’re our baby, forever.”

“Ugh.” Emma’s face brightens. “My show is today.” She jumps off the counter and runs out of the room, distracted and Scott follows her, leaving Tessa to start cooking the pancakes.

“I remembered. Are you excited?”

Emma jumps up and down, suddenly full of energy. “Of course, I am! Is auntie Kaitlyn coming? Or uncle Chiddy?”

“Yes, honey they’re both coming.” They had been insistent about that, declaring that her first show would have to be well attended. It was practically their duty and all.

“Oh good. It’s going to a great show.” Suddenly, her face falls and she slows down. “Right? What if I fall on the ice?”

“If you fall.” Scott approaches her and gets down on her level. “Then you get back up.”

“But what if people laugh at me?” She’s playing with her fingers, another trick she probably got from him.

“They won’t. But even if they do, it doesn’t matter. Do you want to know why?”

“Why?” She looks up at him with her bright green eyes, and he’s reminded of Tessa so much it makes his heart ache.

“Because everyone falls, and you’re going to be amazing, no matter what. Okay?”

“Okay. Thanks daddy.” She tackles him in a big hug, and he squeezes her tightly.

“You’re welcome. Now let’s go help your mama with the pancakes.”

They go back into the kitchen, where Tessa has just finished using the batter. There’s a pile of pancakes on the table, and they dig in. The food is great, and there’s so much laughter throughout the meal. Saturday breakfasts are one of the best parts of his week, getting to spend time with his girls.

The day passes slowly, Emma getting increasingly excited about the event taking place tonight. They manage to keep themselves busy though, distracting her, and finally it’s time to go to the rink. It’s not that far away, maybe ten minutes, and Emma bounces in her car seat the whole way there. Her hair is done up in pretty curls, and her dress is a soft pink. Scott can feel a bit of a lump is his throat when he sees her. This is her first exhibition, and he knows it won’t be her last. He just feels so goddamn lucky when he looks at her, so blessed that he gets to be here right now.

After they arrive, Emma runs off to find her coach and they take their seats. It’s a lovely production, real talent here, and then it’s time for the main event. They watch their daughter take the ice, and Tessa hasn’t been this nervous in a long time. This really isn’t that big of a deal, it’s just one of the carnival things, just a step in the path of her future. But this is Emma’s first time, and she wants it to go well.

She’s only five, so there’s no expectations from them on her, and she hasn’t grown up enough to realize that her parents are international sports stars and the best in history. She just knows they can skate. Tessa knows she’s going to find out eventually, especially with both of their last names attached to her, but she wants to hold on to this until it happens. She doesn’t want her daughter to feel like she has to compare herself to them, and that was the reason she almost didn’t want her to skate. But Scott had insisted that it would be good for her, and that if she didn’t like it she could try other things. So, she had let him sign her up for some introductory classes a year ago, and Emma liked it. So much so, that she had continued until she was here tonight.

Emma skates amazingly, a little wobbly in some parts, as to be expected. She doesn’t fall, and their cheering section erupts when she finishes. The beam on her face could light up the sky, and she just keeps waving to everyone. Eventually, she makes her way off the ice, and after the program Tessa and Scott find her outside the locker room.

“You did great honey.” Tessa is so proud of her daughter, she was incredible.

“Really mama? It was good?”

“It was incredible.” Tessa picks her up in a sweeping hug. “I loved every second.” She sets her down, and Emma turns to her father.

“What did you think daddy?”

“It was a masterpiece. Best I’ve ever seen.”

Emma laughs. “Now you’re silly.”

“Only for you Emma.” He showers her in kisses all around her face.

“Stop it.”

“Never.” Her giggles continue to grow in enthusiasm, and soon enough he’s laughing with her. “I love you baby.”

“I love you too daddy.”

“Let’s get you home, it’s pretty late.” This is definitely past her bedtime, and he doesn’t want to deal with a crabby Emma tomorrow. That isn’t fun at all.

“Okay. Come on mama, let’s go home.” She tugs at Tessa’s arm, who had been talking to Kaitlyn.

“Yeah, let’s go home.” Tessa is happy. She has an amazing daughter, a wonderful husband, and a job that she enjoys. She could have never pictured this when she was first pregnant with Emma, but that’s part of what makes it so amazing. Things have finally fallen into place. It took a long time to get them to this point, but it was worth it.

Scott kisses Tessa, a brief one as they walk out of the rink. They grab Emma’s hands and swing her between them as they exit, joy overtaking all of them. They get to go home with their daughter and do this for the rest of their lives.

_Oh baby._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. When I started this, I never thought it would become an over 17k mess, but here we are. I am continently surprised and grateful for the response to the fic and the kind comments and kudos. This is an amazing fandom, and I am so lucky to be a part of it. While this is the last chapter of this work, I should be posting extras from time to time. if you have prompts, message me on twitter (virtuemoirlike). still, as this comes to an end, I just want to say thank you again. You are all amazing people, and I wish you happy days and long fics. seriously though, you guys are the best. so thanks.  
> xx Katie

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed that! I'll update when I can, and it somewhat depends on interest. Please comment/give kudos if you enjoyed it or have helpful critiques. Thanks!


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